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S.M.A.R.T. Vacation Plan

Some of us may have heard of S.M.A.R.T. goal setting from one of those free NLP seminars. Let me now share with you the S.M.A.R.T. vacation plan.

S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic, and Time-constrained. Here, we are going to apply it to help plan our dream vacation.

Specific: Your travel goals should be specific. Detail is what matters. Avoid generalizations; get to the point and crux of the matter. Specify your immediate travel needs and means. For example, telling youself "I wish for a dream vacation on a tropical island, basking in the sun and listening to the sea." is not being specific compared to "I will travel to Hawaii for a vacation with my family for two weeks within the next 6 months."

Measurable: Your travel goal must be measurable. This goes along with being specific. A goal defined specifically might already be measurable. The above mentioned goal stated intention, involved parties, location, purpose and a timeframe – all measurable elements.A measurable travel goal, like going to Hawaii, with a family of four, within the next six months helps you identify, plan, execute and track more efficiently and increase your odds of actually making it there! Considering the logistics in this fashion makes it that more realistic to enable your family to take the planned trip of a lifetime, as opposed to just dreaming about it!

Action-oriented: A S.M.A.R.T. goal must be action-oriented. It cannot merely be stated. You must relate the goal to doing something, to indicate what needs to be done. An action verb will indicate what needs to be accomplished. “I will travel” is a good example of an action statement, stated intent and implies preparation and planning, will and persistence.

Realistic: For any goal to be motivational and get you committed to reaching it, it must be realistic. When a goal is not realistic and the person does not really believe it can be reached, then the commitment is lacking and the effort will not be there to permit the goal to be realized. Choosing realistic goals are based on your present status. What jumps to mind right away in our example, is whether and how you can afford it and make it happen!

Time-constrained: In order for a goal to move people towards it, it must be time-constrained. A timeline needs to be associated with it. It will entice people to move towards the goal. The timeline set, will be based on the goal itself and the present status. Six months is stated here as arealistic timeline, leaving enough time to save for, plan, book and take your well-deserved vacationto Hawaii, or anywhere else you have chosen to go!